Key conscious

After impressing audiences in Bangalore with their mastery of the piano keys, 10-year-old Neville Bha­rucha and his seven-year-old sister Navaz have also won acclaim from visiting musicians. Recently, they played for a delegation from the Royal School of Music, Stock­holm, when their director Anders Oman described Neville as "exceptionally gifted.” Swiss pianist Christina Zulauf also commended his playing, notes a press release.

Having won several prizes for outstanding musicianship, in 2002 Neville was conferred the Peter Coelho Memorial Award. In December 2001, Navaz won the first prize at the St Marks Cathedral Music competition in Bangalore. That same month the siblings gave a pianoforte recital, Miniature Masterpieces. While Neville’s favorites are the works of Mozart and Chopin, Navaz loves Bach. Neville also possesses the rare gift of spontaneously improvising and has composed many pieces like Spring Song, a simple light piece of one-minute duration, Song without words, a slow paced melodious composition, Rock n’ Roll 7, a fast paced composition and Gallop 7, a peppy marching tune. "When I sit down at the piano, the notes just fall in together,” Neville was quoted in The Times of India of February 27, 2002. The duo recently featured on the Star TV network’s Star News channel as also on ETV.

Budding pianists Navaz and Neville Bharucha

Neville is currently being tutored by Neecia Majolly in Bangalore after receiving his initial training from his father Zarir when he was only five years old. Navaz received her first lessons from her father when she was four and a half years old. Despite the regular school work and the hours of practice required on the keyboard Neville finds time to enjoy his other interests which include astronomy and swimming. The young duo "spend many hours listening to the great masters and imbibing the feel of fine music,” reports The Times referring to their disdain of boy bands as being "too noisy and nothing compared to a Beethoven where the notes are so tuneful and with so many musical movements.”